His mastery of internal energy cultivation far surpassed Zhang Yang's; two lifetimes of experience had given Zhang Yang an unshakeable foundation. But now, Dragon Wind recovered, realizing he couldn't afford anger.

He was already weaker than Zhang Yang in terms of inner strength, and now he lacked the advantage of his weapon. If Zhang Yang managed to enrage him again, there would be no hope of victory.

"You think you can defeat me just because the Fox-Tailed Marten isn't here?"

Zhang Yang smiled dismissively. This time, Dragon Wind did not flare up again; he merely nodded silently. Without the Fox-Tailed Marten, he actually felt confident.

Although Zhang Yang’s inner energy was stronger than his, the advantage was limited and had not yet formed a suppressive edge. Furthermore, even if Zhang Yang held his Snow Whip, Dragon Wind wouldn't fear him.

The Snow Whip needed a corresponding whip technique to truly exert its power. Since Zhang Yang lacked the proper technique, using an unfamiliar weapon might even be less effective than fighting barehanded.

These were objective factors. What truly gave him confidence were the martial arts styles he knew.

The Xuanyuan Family had a heritage spanning over two thousand years, collecting countless martial arts manuals. Every inner disciple could choose three to five styles to study.

The family discouraged choosing too many; it was best to specialize to exert maximum power.

For a technique to be recognized by the Xuanyuan Family and taught to their disciples, it naturally couldn't be ordinary. Each one was top-tier. His current confidence stemmed entirely from these martial arts.

A person's true strength wasn't just inner energy; martial arts were another crucial aspect. Powerful techniques could compensate for deficiencies in inner energy, perhaps even allowing one to defeat a superior opponent at a critical moment.

That was his greatest assurance.

Zhang Yang's eyes suddenly darted, and a mysterious smile touched his lips.

"To be honest, it’s not that I look down on you, but I don't need any weapon to deal with you. If I hadn't wanted to spar last time and held back my full strength, I could have defeated you in ten moves!"

"Ten moves? That’s impossible!"

Dragon Wind was slightly startled and immediately blurted out, a flicker of anger returning to his face.

Defeating him in ten moves—not even the senior members of his family could necessarily achieve that. Perhaps a few of the Elders could, but if he were determined to evade, even the Elders would find it difficult to subdue him within ten moves.

"Don't believe me? Then let’s make a wager. If I can't defeat you within ten moves, I admit defeat, I'll return the Snow Whip, and I'll give you a Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill as a bonus!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and continued. A Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill would certainly appeal to Dragon Wind; he wasn't afraid he wouldn't take the bait.

Indeed, upon hearing about the Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill, Dragon Wind paused, showing some hesitation.

The Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill—the name alone suggested it was a rare spiritual medicine. Within the family, he wouldn't have a chance to be allocated such a tonic unless he achieved a major breakthrough.

If this were earlier, Zhang Yang's claim would sound like bragging, but having witnessed Zhang Yang consume a spiritual medicine himself, Dragon Wind truly believed Zhang Yang could produce another one.

"And if I lose?"

Dragon Wind asked slowly. By asking this, he was implicitly accepting Zhang Yang's wager.

The allure of the Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill was considerable. Even with his superior martial arts, Dragon Wind was only confident he could defeat Zhang Yang, and he likely risked injury in the process. If he could secure Zhang Yang's admission of defeat through a bet, it would also be highly advantageous. At least the opponent had agreed to give him a spiritual medicine upon losing. With that pill, he could practice harder, further increasing his inner energy, making defeating Zhang Yang a certainty later on.

"If you lose, it's simple: you stay by my side for three years. After three years, I'll give you a spiritual medicine, and you get your freedom!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and stated slowly. This was an idea he had just conceived. The Xuanyuan Family remained a persistent trouble. If he could use this opportunity to bind Dragon Wind, he would be free from problems for at least three years. Three years were crucial for him. In that time, through various means, he could raise his inner energy beyond the peak of his previous life, perhaps even reaching the realm of his grandfather. By then, he wouldn't fear any member of the Xuanyuan Family. Moreover, the Xuanyuan Family wouldn't lightly offend a master like him. He was alone; provoking him into an unending conflict would surely result in misfortune for the Xuanyuan Family. Their entire clan couldn't stay huddled together forever; if even one member was caught alone, they would become Zhang Yang’s prey. Of course, this was the worst-case scenario, and one Zhang Yang hoped to avoid.

"Lose, and I follow you for three years, and I still get a spiritual medicine afterwards?"

Dragon Wind looked at Zhang Yang with deep disbelief. This wager seemed entirely to his advantage. If he won, he got his property back plus a spiritual medicine as stakes. If he lost, he only had to follow Zhang Yang for three years and still received a spiritual medicine. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't lose. Within his family, he might not even have the chance to consume a spiritual medicine before turning forty. This was essentially Zhang Yang granting him an opportunity.

"Yes, a Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill three years later, guaranteed!"

Zhang Yang agreed readily. One Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill in exchange for three years of time, and having a member of the Xuanyuan Family nearby—this wasn't a loss for him either.

"I can accept this wager, but if I lose, I will only follow you for three years. I will intervene if you are in danger, but I will not obey your commands!"

After a long hesitation, Dragon Wind finally nodded and agreed. He had his own pride. If he lost, being forced to serve Zhang Yang like a subordinate was unacceptable. However, agreeing to act as a bodyguard for three years while protecting Zhang Yang was acceptable. Members of the Xuanyuan Family had served as bodyguards before; certain important figures were always protected by someone from their clan. The Xuanyuan Family was a hidden clan, but they couldn't be completely secluded, especially with the outer Dragon Family operating in the world. They naturally needed to maintain good relations with certain influential figures. As for whether Zhang Yang would break his promise if he lost, Dragon Wind hadn't thought that far ahead. The fact that Zhang Yang had released him indicated Zhang Yang wasn't entirely malicious. Besides, the Xuanyuan Family was not easily fooled. If Zhang Yang deceived him, it would be an insult to the entire family, inviting the wrath and pursuit of the entire clan. Even if many fought against one, Dragon Wind would feel no psychological burden, as Zhang Yang would have been the first to deceive him.

"No problem, I agree!"

Zhang Yang smiled heartily. All he needed was three years of time. Never mind not obeying his commands for three years; he didn't even care if Dragon Wind didn't follow him. With this buffer period, he could accomplish many things.

"Good. Ten moves. Let's see how you defeat me in ten moves!"

Dragon Wind nodded again, gathering his energy and spirit, preparing to withstand Zhang Yang's attack. Initially, he had aimed to defeat Zhang Yang, but now his focus shifted to blocking Zhang Yang's ten moves. His mindset was subtly changing. Blocking ten moves meant victory for him.

Zhang Yang watched him with a smile. Seeing his demeanor, he knew Dragon Wind was destined to lose this time. A person without ambition, focused only on defense, was like a tiger that had lost its teeth—all appearance, no substance. The more tense a person became, the more likely they were to make mistakes. Dragon Wind was the same; his greatest tension centered on Zhang Yang's ten moves. During these ten moves, his spirit was completely taut, stretched so tight it could snap at any moment. This meant the tiger's claws were also brittle, ready to break upon contact. Zhang Yang had nothing to worry about. Not to mention, Zhang Yang still held his trump card. Without this ace, he never would have proposed such a wager.

"I'm starting now!"

Zhang Yang smiled at Dragon Wind and took a step forward.

Dragon Wind grew even more tense. Zhang Yang was right; something felt off in his heart. He didn't believe Zhang Yang could defeat him in ten moves, but Zhang Yang wasn't a fool either—why propose such a wager without certainty? Therefore, he had to be cautious to the extreme, prudent to the highest degree.

Suddenly, Zhang Yang’s rear leg jumped forcefully, his arm forming a hook punch. He charged toward Dragon Wind without any recognizable technique, looking as if he intended to land a straightforward punch. In common brawls, such a move often worked well, but among masters, such a feint was useless. Dragon Wind was slightly perplexed but dared not relax, using his movement technique to slip past the attack.

"One move!"

After evading, Dragon Wind shouted out. Zhang Yang immediately stopped his body and whipped his fist backward in a similar, formless motion. Dragon Wind easily dodged this punch as well.

"Two moves!"

After evading, Dragon Wind didn't forget to remind Zhang Yang. Having easily bypassed two moves, his tension eased slightly. However, the mental strain remained tight; he dared not relax at all.

After two moves, the smile on Zhang Yang's lips deepened. These first two moves were mere probes. As expected, Dragon Wind had completely lost his ambition. Such attacks were easy to counter, yet Dragon Wind only evaded without retaliation, clearly aiming only to survive the ten moves. With no drive to press the attack, Zhang Yang had no further concerns.

For the next move, Zhang Yang suddenly changed tactics. A biting, fierce wind swept out with his fist, signaling the deployment of a genuine martial arts technique. Dragon Wind immediately tensed up again, relying on his movement skills to continuously evade.

"Three moves!"

"Four moves!"

"Five moves!"

Dragon Wind called out as he dodged. His movement technique was indeed excellent; although Zhang Yang's offense was sharp, it failed to land a hit. After five moves, Dragon Wind’s confidence increased slightly.

"Six moves!"

Zhang Yang attacked again, and Dragon Wind called out once more. After dodging the sixth move, when Zhang Yang attacked with the seventh, Dragon Wind's expression held a hint of ease; this move seemed similar to the previous ones and should be easy to evade.

"Seven—Ah, impossible!"

Dragon Wind had only half-dodged this attack when his pupils suddenly constricted violently. He cried out in shock, as if witnessing something utterly unbelievable, and froze completely in place.